Old Rock Structures

The Italian speaking canton of Switzerland is called Ticino.
In areas there are plentiful rocks, boulders, outcrops, quarries on the south side of the Alp slope valleys.  People used the plentiful local rock to build walls, and they also used the cavities in and around rocks in ingenious ways.

Pictures below are from the Val Maggia (and its offshoot Val Bavona) but there are structures like this in other Ticinese valleys as well (Val Leventina, e.g.)

 Above is a shed, using a leaning boulder as partial wall and roof.
Below is a pen, with a wall of stones built up under the cliff.
Both were for goats, as cows could not navigate the steep and rocky terrain.

The steps seen below right lead up to a 'hanging garden.'
When torrential floods in the 1500's washed away fields and crops, growing areas were created on the tops of large boulders, safe from being washed away.

 While goat pens and hanging gardens were from Val Bavona, the area around Cevio in Val Maggiore had hundreds of storage and wine cellars built into and under giant rocks.  Photo above shows a reconstructed storage shed under a boulder, with steps leading up to dozens of other 'caves.'  Most had tables and chairs built out of stone as well, so that people could have a safe place to enjoy their wines and other stored products.  These date from the last 300 years.

New Rock Structures

 In Ticino, rocks are still used for building, but the size, scope, scale, and sophistication have grown.

These are all overlooking Lago Maggiore near Ascona, Switzerland in Ticino.

Please click on "Older Posts" in the bottom right to go further in this trip:  Ascona, Pordenone, and the Friulian Alps.

Lago Maggiore and Ascona

The small town of Ascona is just south of the larger and better known Locarno in the very southern part of Switzerland.  Lago Maggiore seen below.  More info at link.

A papal college was built in Ascona around 1600 and it is still functioning as a school.

Monte Verita

Monte Verita is a retreat above Ascona Switzerland that was founded in the early 1900's on idealistic principals of socialism, vegetarianism, nudity, free living, art and design.

Many famous and not so famous people have come through.

Read more:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Verità

Snake paving in the front lawn invites meditative walking.





One of the original buildings below.

Tea Garden to left with tea plants from the Himalayas.

Hike in Foothills of Friulian Dolomites

The Alps in Friulia region of northeastern Italy are called the Dolomites.
These photos are from a short hike in the foothills in October 2014.
I got lost and ended up in Mezzomonte.

 Grove of hazelnuts.

Hayfield and country road showing the eponymous dolomite rock.

Wild crocus above and cyclamen below.

Pordenone Giornate 2014

Pordenone is a medium size city in northeastern Italy.
Every year for 33 years there has been a festival of silent movies in October:  Le Giornate del Cinema Muto. 
Link:
Great opportunity to enjoy the area and also learn about old movies - with great live music.

The church of St Peter and St Paul at dusk and in the moonlight.




Below, a corso with cafes and no traffic.

The movie "Beau Brummel" starring John Barrymore and Mary Astor.  Intertitle of dialogue:  "But the Lady Hester?"

Plant Doings

 This Team from Chestnut Hill Friends Meeting has just cleared the rocks shown to the right of weeds and debris; they are quite happy with the work.

 

Two successful plantings, left of Banana and Honeybush and below of cactus succulents.

Cool Outfits at Fashion Week in NY

The coolest Outfits were not the professionals but People who had made their own and showed up for the gathering on Lincoln Plaza, of shoes, photographers and more.

Fashion Week Feet

Sometimes shoes are the outfit...

Sometimes shoes just add to the Outfit.

Fashion Week Fotos

 Lots of photo ops, posing and shooting, by professionals and amateurs.